Ha Huynh Wins 2019 First Achievement Award
By BOB LEWIS
Contributing Editor
Ha Huynh, a 2019 honor graduate of Broken Arrow High School, has been named the winner of this year’s First Achievement Award by the First National Bank & Trust Co. of Broken Arrow.
Her goal is to use this scholarship to study nursing at the University of Tulsa before focusing on preparing for a career as an anesthesiologist. A longer-term aim is to use her training to help deliver modern healthcare services to the people of Viet Nam.
At BAHS, Huynh excelled in the classroom earning a 3.94 grade point average despite taking a rigorous course of study and being an active part in a large number of campus and community organizations.
Listed on the Honor Roll, she was a leader of the National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Key Club, the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health and Student Council. She also volunteers at local hospitals, the Tulsa Food Bank and Little Light House.
To help raise the money she needs for college, Huynh assists her uncle with his food truck, rakes leaves, mows lawns, conducts garage sales and was a tutor.
Testimony to her dedication to obtain a quality education despite an unusually crowded calendar is seen in the fact she logged a perfect high school attendance record in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
In addition to the bank’s annual commitment of $20,000 to local schools, it introduced the community’s only financial institution-sponsored education assistance program in 1989. Since that time, nearly $300,000 has been awarded to local students. The scholarships can be used at any accredited college or university in the country and are renewable for up to four years.
The First Achievement Award is open to children of individuals who maintain relationships with the bank. Winners are selected based on classroom accomplishments, community leadership, financial need and educator recommendations.
“Over the years, we have had the opportunity to reward a number of truly outstanding young people,” said First National of Broken Arrow Board Chairman Gregory Graham. “Ha is an excellent student and outstanding young woman who has certainly earned her place on this distinguished list of winners.”
